Al-Qaeda planned to attack the Israeli national football team during an away match in Malta, the Israeli media have reported.

The coach of the national team, Avraham Grant, told Army Radio that he had been informed before the 12 October match that a Tunisian man with suspected links to al-Qaeda had been arrested the day before.

We did not realise they planned an attack

Avraham Grant,national coach

The man, Hamadi Bawahia, lived in Italy and was detained along with four other men by Italian anti-terrorist forces, the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot reported.

The newspaper said Italian police had intercepted a call between alleged members of a terrorist cell in which one said: "All is ready for the match, the ground is ready, we shall win."

The Italians had been tipped off by Israeli security forces, the paper said.

It added that Italian officials were investigating the possibility that the alleged al-Qaeda members were planning an attack on the football match.